Normality
by Tatsumaki-sama
Summary: It was a normal day. Normal for Ukitake. Normal for Shunsui. Not so much for others.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.

**Normality****  
**

It was supposed to be a normal day.

It had started out as one. They were doing the usual drills while their captain watched. He was looking better, cheeks not so shallow, skin not so sickly, eyes not so somber. He looked healthy for once, looked normal for once.

His two ever faithful third seats hovered over him, fussing over him like a mother hen would. They insisted that he didn't have to worry about the paperwork. They would do it for him. They would do anything for him. They tried to usher him back to his rooms to rest with no avail.

With a smile that would (and could) brighten the skies in all its glorious radiance and light, he shook his head. He wanted to stay outdoors for as long as he could. It had been days since he had felt a cool breeze on his skin, felt the warm sunshine on his face, felt _alive_ and well enough to do something like this.

Finally, they relented. They could not disobey a captain's order. Or his puppy-eye gaze for long.

For some time, they sat there in peace. The trainees worked harder, quietly pleased to have him overseeing their training.

But as brief as it was, all it took was a cough and everything went downhill from there.

One of the third seats quickly handed him a glass of water. He accepted it gratefully, but the coughing would not stop. It merely amplified.

In their mindless panic, the third seats ran to get his medicine. The remaining shinigami did what they could to comfort their captain. Even the most hardened warriors flinched at the glazed look in his eyes, pained and suffering. The hoarse rattling in his chest made them cringe. The way his frail body shook horribly at each jarring cough gave them the need to look away.

His eyes were squeezed tightly as he rasped for breath, coughing, hacking, wheezing. By now, half of his Division watched in mounting fear and worry.

When he removed his hand from his mouth, he wasn't surprised (though someone behind him gasped in horror) at the splotches of crimson running from his fingers, dribbling down his palm, staining into his nails.

It did not matter that they had seen this many, many times during their service and duty to the Thirteenth Division. Seeing their captain like this, unable to do anything but silently watch, was just as hard as a blow any Hollow could have dealt to them.

The third seats returned, babbling and wailing tearfully that they couldn't find the medicine.

Almost immediately, widespread chaos broke from the Thirteenth Division. Several sprinted off to find the medicine. Others demanded that they took him the Fourth Division now. Some asserted he shouldn't be moved, while they'll go and bring Captain Unohana here.

Surprisingly, in the midst of their alarm, no one noticed that Captain Kyouraku had appeared, suddenly and abruptly, expression severe for once. Raising his head slowly, he looked up at his old friend and tried to smile through red teeth and pale lips.

" You're early," he remarked, as casually as if he was speaking of the weather.

Wordlessly, Shunsui picked up him up and within seconds, disappeared, already running towards the Fourth Division, leaving the rest of the Division standing and staring in awe. Until the third seats snapped out of their reverie and raced to catch up.

He would recover. He always did.

That was a "normal" day to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.

**I decided to write another chapter for this, except this time, it would be more focused on Shunsui.**

* * *

It was supposed to be a normal day.

His beloved Nanao-chan only yelled at him twice today, once to stop him from drooling over the papers and the second time to stop him from pouring sake over the whacked him hard with her ever trusting book and he fell from his desk in a heap, laughing. She would scold him, giving him such a lecture that his ears felt like they might fall off. Of course, as soon as he started commenting how pretty his darling Nanao-chan looked today, she would huff and walk away.

Majority of his Division were either training, on duty or lounging about in the halls, resting, chattering, laughing. His third-seat kept them in order, barking at them to stop lazing around and do something productive. His fourth watched the training, his eyes as beady and sharp as a hawk's. A single slip or mistake never escaped from his sight.

While taking opportunity of his vice captain being occupied with a small scuffle between two of the newer recruits, he took refuge in his favourite cherry blossom tree, finding all the right branches and spots to lean on. He closed his eyes, listening to all the sounds that transpired throughout his Division.

His third-seat yelling at those who were idle. His fourth-seat snapping improvements at the slackers. Nanao-chan, her lovely voice severe, demanding to know what had really happened. The recruits stammering and stuttering in their haste to answer. Others complaining and shouting back at the third-seat for being such a slave driver. Some grumbling and muttering under their breaths, saying many unpleasant things about the fourth-seat.

All in all, today was a good day.

But something happened. He didn't know when it happened or even what it was. A gut feeling he called it. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. Not one bit.

He opened his eyes. Gazing up at the sky, he frowned at nothing in particular. With a grim dread, he finally recognized this feeling.

Somehow, his Nanao-chan managed to spot him through the window and quickly called after him in her confusion, even as he sprinted across his Division, blurring past surprised shinigami and disappeared in a swipe of pink.

He made it to the Thirteenth Division in his record time. He arrived to see crowds of shinigami panicking and running about, yelling and wailing about being unable to find the medicine.

And in the center of it all, was Ukitake.

Without even a blink, his old friend slowly raised his head and his haggard eyes gleamed in recognition and delight.

" You're early," Ukitake said with a casual grin. He could see from where he stood that Ukitake's teeth and lips were already coated with red.

He might have answered just as casually and perhaps even joke about the situation. It was something he normally did. But he had dealt with this kind of situation far too many times to remember or conjure up any jokes at the moment. In a fluid movement, he picked up Ukitake and was already out of the Thirteenth Division. He could feel all the eyes of the Thirteen Division on him, half in awe and the other in gratitude.

There were shouts behind him and he didn't bother to turn around to know that Ukitake's two third-seats followed him, quick and faithful.

Ukitake would recover. That he knew.

To him, "this" was normal.


End file.
